I actually hope I lose, lol. I do WANT to see Mekkatorque added to the game (It makes it for more likely that I will be added!). And the fervent fandom that has grown around Pepe has stopped making sense to me.

Plus, with a real life, work and kids, I have not drawn anything in a while. It’s be nice to HAVE TO draw something so that I actually do it.

I’ve asked @Arakkoa before what distinguishing characteristics Verroak has, but I all remember him saying was “He’s real old”

I have a bet now with @Arakkoa of https://arakkoa.wordpress.com/ fame.

He thinks that Mekkatorque will be added to Heroes of the Storm BEFORE Pepe is added to HotS.

I think that Pepe will make it in to HotS ((either as a Skin, Mount or some kind of new cosmetic accessory any character can wear on their head)) BEFORE Mekkatorque makes it in.

the wager? Who ever loses has to draw a picture of the other persons character exercising their craft. I’ll draw a picture of Verroak mixing potions, OR he will draw a picture of ME piloting a giant mech! This all hinges on what they announce before the end of the year. *Edit: 01/01/2017

With Blizzcon coming up, surly the roster for HotS will be expanded. Who will it be? The racial leader of the ever overlooked gnomes? Of the bird that is a bird, that sits on you head and wears funny hats!?

It seems like there are some talents that make a spec so much different from other choices that they are possibly a bigger deal than the spec you choose. Gladiator stance changes Protection from tank to DPS, but Arms and Fury are always melee DPS. It makes it seem like “Do I play Protection with or without Gladiator Stance” is a bigger choice than. “Do I DPS as Arms or Fury”

Ideally a talent changes your play-style or rotation some, but how much is too much?

How much is too little change to justify different specs?

It seems like what Blizzard would currently LIKE is for each spec to be a different role for each class (tank/healer/rangeDPS/meleeDPS/Dots), but that the specs have too much history to make those changes now.

Would it be too drastic for example to make ONE melee DPS spec for rogues, and then have what are currently the signature abilities of the 3 current specs as talents, then give rogues a tank and ranged DPS spec?

I don’t think they could make a change that drastic at this point, but I would be interested to see them try.

If you’re reading this, I expect you’ve read “Cut Short”, The leader short story of ME Sicco Thermaplugg (also that other guy, Gelbin Mekkatorque). It’s by Cameron Dayton @CameronDayton, and is the most important and in depth piece of fiction for gnomes in Warcraft.

Dayton has written a new book called “Etherwalker”

It’s a great mix of machines and fantasy. If you are a fan of fantastical adventures this will be right up your ally. I am enjoying it immensely! It’s a little like Neuromancer meets Mad Max.

The first 3 chapters can be previewed for free through Amazon. I read them and got hooked. Definitely go check it out!

I don’t believe in Karma, but there is an old gnomish philosophy, “We’re all cogs in the same machine. Damage another cog, and you damage the machine. Damage the machine, and you damage yourself.”

I know of a lot of gnomes that subscribe to this, but I don’t personally. I think it’s to reductive. Not all the parts of a machine are NOT equal. If you have a machine you want to make better, you have to take some pieces out and replace them.

Most gnomes add more pieces, additional functions and options. Not me. What’s the machine supposed to do? Remove everything that gets in the way. No bells, whistles, power adjusters, or emergency cut offs; all that stuff is rubbish.